A scientific expedition will set sail on Saturday to try to locate the wreck of the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano, almost 21 years after she was sunk by a British submarine in the South Atlantic.
The warship sank on 2 May 1982 during a short war over the control of the Falkland Islands, which Argentines call the Malvinas. The wreck is a war grave for 323 Argentine soldiers and sailors and lies about 185 kilometres from Tierra del Fuego. The relatives of the dead approved the mission on the understanding that bodies would not be disturbed.
The US National Geographic Society (NGS) is conducting the search and plans to produce a television documentary. It will also place a commemorative plaque on the wreck and retrieve some symbolic elements of the ship, to be placed in the Argentine Navy Museum.
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But finding the vessel will not be easy. It lies in waters about 4200 metres deep, where sunlight does not penetrate. Therefore, side-scan sonar imaging will be used to pinpoint the location of the General Belgrano. This is expected to take between seven and 10 days, assisted by the relatively flat ocean floor in the area.
However, the frequently stormy waters of the South Atlantic also present a challenge. The expected 鈥渨eather window鈥� is only 10 days 鈥� after that strong winds and rough seas are likely to end the mission. The NGS rates expedition鈥檚 chance of success as 鈥渂etter than 50 per cent, depending on the weather鈥�.
Spotlights and cameras
If the wreck is found, a crewless mini-submarine will be launched, also guided by sonar. The submarine鈥檚 spotlights and cameras will enable it to search for scattered debris and determine whether the ship broke in two, as some experts believe. A robot arm will be used to collect material for return to the surface.
The NGS has rented an Argentine oceanographic ship for the expedition. Pedro Luis Galazi, who was second in command of the General Belgrano will be on board. The captain, Hector Bonzo, it too ill for the voyage.
An Argentine naval vessel will accompany the mission, carrying another 20 survivors and relatives of those who died. Many of these bitterly opposed the NGS inviting two former crewmembers from HMS Conqueror, the nuclear submarine that sank the General Belgrano.
The sinking of the Argentine cruiser was extremely controversial, and the expedition鈥檚 discoveries could re-ignite the argument. The General Belgrano is believed to have been attacked whilst outside, and sailing away from, a 200-mile exclusion zone imposed by British forces.